IPID to investigate Ntlemeza for perjury

ANA

From left, Victor Ivanov, the director of the Russian Federation, former police minister Nathi Nhleko, acting police commisssioner General Kgomotso Phahlane and head of the Hawks General Berning Ntlemeza.

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) is investigating a case of perjury against national Hawks boss Lieutenant General Berning Ntlemeza.

IPID acting spokesman Robbie Raburabu confirmed on Wednesday that it was investigating a complaint of perjury that that had been levelled by suspended KwaZulu-Natal Hawks boss Maj-Gen Johan Booysen.

“The complaint was received from Major General Booysen against Lieutenant General Ntlemeza relating to the litigation case against General Ntlemeza by General Booysen. IPID has received this case on 24 March 2016 and it will be investigated as required.”

Raburabu did not provide any further details as to the nature of Booysen’s complaint.

Ntlemeza and the Hawks are petitioning the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in Boemfontein to overturn a Durban High Court ruling by Judge Anton van Zyl ordering Ntlemeza to reinstate Booysen.

Ntlemeza suspended Booysen, claiming that Booysen and the men tasked with investigating a police officer’s assassination, fraudulently received a monetary reward for shooting dead six innocent men and that Booysen supplied false case numbers in a bid to obtain the award.

Booysen, however, denied authoring the document which resulted in him and his men receiving the award for tracking down and killing Superintendent Zethembe Chonco’s killers. He denied that he had anything to do with the granting of the award.

Van Zyl found there was no merit to Ntlemeza’s allegations and he had not presented any evidence proving that fraud had been committed. He dismissed Ntlemeza’s application for leave to appeal.

It is understood that Booysen’s complaint relates to Ntlemeza’s submissions that he made to the SCA wherein he claimed that Booysen had been part of the process to appoint Maj-Gen Jabulani Zikhali as head of the Hawks in KwaZulu-Natal, even though Booysen still occupied the post.

Ntlemeza claimed: “Another person (Zikhali) has been appointed in the position occupied by the first respondent (Booysen). This was done pursuant to a process which the first respondent (Booysen) participated in and was also interviewed but was unsuccessful.”

In his supplementary affidavit to the SCA Booysen denied that he had ever been asked to reapply for his job or had been interviewed to be re-appointed.

“While it is correct that another person (Zikhali) has been appointed in my position despite the fact that I continue to occupy that position, it is untrue that this person (Zikhali) was appointed pursuant to a process which I participated in. The fact of the matter is that I was not even notified that the applicant intended replacing me, nor was I interviewed for the position,” Booysen said in a supplementary affidavit submitted to the SCA.

In a reply to Booysen’s supplementary affidavit, Ntlemeza claimed that the original affidavit had been a draft that was submitted by his lawyer and that was signed and accidentally submitted to the court.

In his reply, he admitted that Booysen had not been part of the process, but had applied for his (Booysen’s) own job and had not been shortlisted and not interviewed.

Ntlemeza’s appointment to head up the Hawks has been controversial and it is not the first time that he has been accused of making false statements under oath.

In February last year Judge Elias Matojane said: “I am of the view that the conduct of the third respondent (Ntlemeza) shows that he is biased and dishonest. To show that the third respondent is biased, lacks integrity and honour, he (Ntlemeza) made false statements under oath.”

Matojane made the comments when he overturned Ntlemeza’s suspension of then Gauteng Hawks boss Maj-Gen Shadrack Sibiya.